Google acquires company behind iOS photo app Snapseed

Google is looking to bolster its arsenal yet again with the purchase of Nik Software, the company behind the popular iOS photo sharing app Snapseed. Snapseed, for those Android users who may have never encountered it, is from the same vein as the likes of Instagram and Hipstamatic, and could be leveraged by Google in several ways.

Two obvious uses Google might find include image editing within Google+ as well as enhancements to the stock Android camera, though it is unclear at this time the exact intentions of the company. There is also no guarantee we’ll have any clarity on the matter in the near future, as Google often takes months to fully fold new acquisitions into their current plans.

One thing is for certain: the acquisition likely has little to do with competing directly with Instagram or their parent company Facebook, nor does it likely signal the end of Snapseed for iOS, an app that was named iPad App of the Year in 2011 by Apple.

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Take bad photo with cell phone camera: -1
Try to “improve” it with a crappy photo editing app: -1
Post it on a social network to get any bit of recognition you can since you lack even the slightest hint of self confidence in anything: -1000

Acquire and learn to use a real camera: +10000

UniBroW

whatever you say, hipster cat guy

Richard Braley

lol

watson111505

Sounds like an IPhone user….

Go Hawkeyes

Absolutely not. Been using Android since launch day of the OG Droid. Currently on a SGS3 and have 3 other Android users in my house, wife has SGS3, oldest daughter has Thunderbolt, oldest son has Rezound. 3 youngest kids will get Androids in time.

Eyad (formerly CTownOL)

That’s the best part of advanced software! Nothing like free or cheap software to correct the mistakes of ones expensive hardware.

Kozmod

Hey, maybe that Tegra 3 version of Snapseed will finally be released. They were showing it off at CES way back January.

And Snapseed is more than just Instagram and the like. It is closer to being like Photoshop Touch. It is more of a lightweight version of their desktop image editing software than a heavy weight mobile OS fitler pack.

Derek Duncan

Snapseed for Android tablets was shown off in January this year. Still hasn’t come.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CYQUMMC7Z4UBLSHQAJGNJBKVPM JamesS

Yup, I know. I’ve reminded them a few times now…still nothing.

http://twitter.com/SParKlngCyaNide SparklingCyanide

ha, I love how Google is buying so many IOS specific app developers. Very smart course of action. – D

bos

Nik software is much more than one app. It’ll be interesting to see what Google does with the Nikon products and Photoshop plugins.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_CYQUMMC7Z4UBLSHQAJGNJBKVPM JamesS

Yes! I’m hoping that between the Nikon Android camera and Google buying Nik, which Nikon did(?) have stake in, we’ll maybe hopefully see a real update to CNX! I can wish, right? :P

bos

Sure hope so. CNX has all the potential in the world if someone would just fully develop and support it.

Jeffrey Evans

I can just hear the iFan whining and crying starting up like they did when Instagram created an Android app.

Robabobbob

Great another app that makes your modern camera produce a crappy image thrown back from the 70’s. I am I really in the minority that wants my photographs to be higher quality and not have fake aged effects thrown all over them?